Articles, Theories and Therapies Oh My!

So...once again I am reading yet another article about the newest therapy on the scene targeting non-verbal autistics. After reading on about this "wonderful" new therapy, I notice a short "by the way" type of comment included in the description of this therapy that states that a augmentative communication device was used. Now, I don't claim to be an expert on any other non-verbal or verbal autistic with the exception of my son. You have to wonder though, was it really the therapy that made the difference or the augmentative communication device? Here is my theory:  Let's assume for a minute that non-verbal autistics are taking in and processing 100 percent of  all incoming language. The brain will not allow the outgoing response/request to take place verbally. Introduce a device, any device, that has a communication program and provide training to use that program. That could be any of the augmentative communication devices ranging from $1000.00 + to a  $450.00 first generation Ipad. Is there any wonder that over 75 percent of the study group showed vast improvement? Yes, by all means do speech therapy, encourage speech every day all the time, demand it even, but give the child a tool to communicate with, train him to use it and I would be willing to be that the child has less meltdowns (he is getting his needs met).  I have read that some of these children are passive and have low self esteem. If you couldn't speak and had something you wanted to say, wouldn't you have low self esteem, wouldn't you react emotionally and physically from sheer frustration? If this is way off base, how do you explain the non-verbal autistics that have blogs, write speeches, communicate fluently and in depth with a communication device? So thanks for the new therapies, but I think we will pass. You see, we are working on our on therapy. Faith, hope, love and Proloquo2Go app for the Ipad.